My grandmother took the batterias out of hers as well once the dog learned what it was. I have one for Autumn but haven't used it since my stepdad left. He was the only one who hated her barking. She only barks at the door, a whole once or twice a day for less than a minute. I may have to take the collar back out for a few days when I move to a new apartment next month. They're not usually physically painful, but definately psychological. I wouldn't use it on a very emotionally unstable or skiddish dog. The funniest thing I ever saw was a group of dog owners at the dog park trying a shock collar on themselves. They wanted to make sure it didn't hurt before investing.